A midair plane crash in northeastern Virginia that killed two people will be investigated by Canadian authorities, as both pilots were employees of the US Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board.
NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman and FAA Acting Administrator Michael Huerta asked the Transportation Safety Board of Canada to conduct the investigation to avoid any potential conflicts of interest or bias.
The Memorial Day crash over Warrenton, VA., involved a Beechcraft BE-35 (N6658R) owned by an NTSB employee and a Piper PA-28 (N23SC) owned by an FAA employee. Both the pilot and a passenger on the Beechcraft were killed when the plane went down and caught fire in a wooded area. Authorities have not yet released their identities.
The Piper pilot, Thomas Proven, managed to land his plane safely but was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.